In case an automotive vehicle falls into a collision, there is a possibility in which a driver might suffer a secondary collision with a steering wheel due to an inertia. Protection of the driver on this occasion involves adopting an impact absorption type steering column apparatus. A steering column, just when the driver secondarily collides with the steering wheel, separates together with a steering shaft from a car body, and an energy absorption member gets collapsed, thereby absorbing an impact energy thereof while moving forwards of the automotive vehicle.
An apparatus will be exemplified by way of one example of the impact absorption type steering column apparatus, wherein, as Japanese Patent No. 2978788 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-229577, disclose impact energy absorption systems, upon the secondary collision, its impact energy is absorbed by causing a flexural deformation of a car body sided bracket (a tilt bracket and a lower bracket) through which the steering column is secured to a car body.
By the way, in the case of Japanese Patent No. 2978788 given above, upon the secondary collision, the impact energy thereof causes the tilt bracket to make its flexural deformation towards of the automotive vehicle, a tilt position fastening bolt displaces along a groove for a tilt adjustment and reaches a lowermost position of this tilt adjustment groove, at which time a collapse stroke of the steering column comes to an end.
Further, in the case of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-229577 as well, upon the secondary collision, when the lower bracket makes a predetermined quantity of its flexural deformation forwards of the automotive vehicle, the collapse stroke of the steering column terminates, and the steering column stops.
Thus, it is normal that the quantity of the collapse stroke of the steering column is generally specified to a predetermined quantity corresponding to a configuration of the bracket, dimensions of the tilt adjustment groove, and so forth.
Depending on a type of the automotive vehicle and a delivery destination thereof, however, there is a demand for a further increase in the quantity of the collapse stroke of the steering column.